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Manchester City facing enormous punishment that could result in double relegation
Oct 19 2026 18:49 · By James Goldman · 15 Reads
Manchester City fans celebrate a goal against Ipswich Town (Picture: Getty)
Manchester City are facing the prospect of spending the next two years in The Championship as the Premier League prepares to throw the rule book at them.
Enzo Maresca’s side have made a flawless start to the new domestic season and toasted a record seventh straight win under their new head coach on Saturday.
City’s impressive run of victories has come amid a backdrop of uncertainty after they were found guilty last month of over 100 charges in relation to breaches of financial rules.
An appeal has already been lodged and City maintain they will prove their innocence once they present what they claim to be ‘irrefutable proof’ in front of the independent pannel.
The Premier League, according to the Daily Mail, however, are set to preempt the result of the appeal by handing down a severe punishment for the offences committed over a near 10-year period between 2009 and 2018.
Maresca’s side will reportedly earn a points deduction so significant that it will guarantee their demotion to the second tier of English football for the first time since 2001.
A weighty fine is also anticipated, while it is also claimed that City could begin the 2027/28 season with a points penalty that would severely limit their chances of earning an instant return to the Premier League.
The EFL would need to ratify that punishment but it is not thought, at this stage, that they would seek to limit City’s handicap.
Given the chaos it would cause, City will not instantly be kicked out of the Premier League and would have to complete their remaining fixtures, no matter how futile.
Nor are City likely to face the ultimate ignominy of beginning next season at the bottom of the football pyramid in League Two.
City’s immediate focus, meanwhile, centres on tomorrow night’s Champions League game against AEK Athens, ahead of which Enzo Maresca confirmed Antoine Semenyo would miss the next two months with a knee injury.
The Ghana international suffered the problem in the latter stages of Saturday’s Premier League victory over Ipswich, having only entered the game as a 77th-minute substitute.